From
1980s, population of Bearded Tit increased
dramatically to 150–400 breeding pairs in
Slovakia. In this paper, we present observations
of wintering flocks of Bearded Tit on Levice
fishponds. Size of the wintering flocks reached
2–50 individuals (n = 4 years) and positively
depended on mean winter temperatures. As the
part of wintering population may set up a new
breeding colony in the spring, we presume that
Levice fishponds may become the new breeding
site of the species in the future.

In
the years 2009–2011, characterised by markedly
wet seasons, we studied some aspects of breeding
ecology of the Hedge Sparrow breeding above the
tree line in a sub-alpine zone of the Malá Fatra
Mountains. Here we reported the rate of nest
success of the species and characterised the
nest failure causes. We only found 16 occupied
nests with clutch or nestlings within the 70 ha
model study area during the study period that
very strong underestimate of recorded male
territories censused by the international
standard mapping methods (e.g. 18 territories /
10 active nests in 2011). Taking into
consideration the total number of trapped and
re-trapped birds, we assume that high proportion
of the population is non-breeding. We estimated
a nesting success for our sample to be 42.9%,
what is comparable number to the estimates from
other Passerines species. Breeding of the
species in high elevations is limited by the
harsh weather condition that is the main factor
of nest failures.

The
study refers to breeding and occurrence of
European Roller in the last known breeding site
in Slovakia close to Komárno town in 2007–2011.
Altogether, five breedings were recorded (two in
the year 2007, one in 2008, 2009 and 2010
respectively). All of them were successful. The
number of eggs in clutch counted four or five,
number of hatched nestlings were four or five,
number of fledglings varied between three and
five (in total 20). Nest boxes (four times) and
natural hollow of Black Woodpecker Dryocopus
martius (once) excavated in White/Grey Poplar
were used for breeding. Repeated breeding in the
same nest box was confirmed. One nest-box was
used for the fourth time by the same pair in
2007; the other was used in 2008 and 2009, each
time by different pair. In 2009, female
originating from surrounding of Kunszentmiklós,
Hungary (124 km apart) bred at the site.
Repeated breeding of the same male (hatched in
2007) was recorded in 2009 and 2010, each time
forming pair with different female and in
different nest-box. In 2008, case of incest
breeding of female with her father, less likely
with older brother was recorded. In 2011, no
breeding occurred at the site.

Temporary
wetlands in the fields offer important habitats
for migrating waterfowl and all birds.
Altogether 150 bird species (ca. 42% of Slovak
avifauna) were found in wet field depressions,
surrounding hedges and poplar woods (117 ha)
near Zvolen town in 2006–2011. There were found
only 24 breeding species, most species were
permigrants (64) and hospites – species visiting
the study site from surrounding areas for
foraging and roosting (62). In total 81 species,
of them 38 waterfowl and at water living bird
species were registered during spring migration
in March and April. The species Vanellus
vanellus, Gallinago gallinago, Ardea cinerea,
Anas platyrhynchos, Anthus pratensis, Emberiza
schoeniclus, were characteristic and the most
frequent of them then, rare were, e.g. Gallinago
media, Grus grus, Limicola falcinellus,
Lymnocryptes minimus, Numenius arquata, Tringa
stagnatilis. The species Buteo buteo, Columba
palumbus and C. oenas, Alauda arvensis,
Motacilla alba, Pica pica, Corvus cornix and
Sturnus vulgaris were the most frequent from
other birds. The most abundant species there
were S. vulgaris, V. vanellus and C. palumbus
(7.7–22%) during spring migration. Occurrence
and phenology of 47 species were commented, too.

The
aim of the study was to determine qualitative
and quantitative structure of the bird
assemblages of various habitats adjacent to the
Hron River, where the first breeding of
Goosander in Slovakia was documented. Strip
method was used to census birds in the breeding
season 2007, with three standard controls plus
one special control using boat. Four habitat
types were distinguished: A – water and littoral
(24% of the total monitored area); B – riparian
forest (26%); C – meadows, fields and shrubs
(47%); D – settlements (3%). In total, 69 bird
species were recorded within all four habitats
(of them, 46 in the habitat B, 33 in the habitat
C, 11 in the habitat D and seven in the habitat
A). Density reached the highest value in the
habitat B (164.9 pairs/10 ha). The values of
density ranged from 25.5 (A) to 55.6 (D)
pairs/10 ha in three remaining habitats.
Negative effects of small hydroelectric plants
projected on the river Hron are discussed.

Altogether
84 waterbird species were registered at water
reservoir Ružiná from October 1996 to December
2010. Of them, there were 22 breeding species,
(12 regular, six irregular and four rare), only
two wintering and 60 permigrants (not breeding).
The most abundant species were Anas
platyrhynchos (58.4%), Fulica atra (12%),
Podiceps cristatus (9.9%) and Anas crecca
(4.1%). The most frequent were Ardea cinerea,
Fulica atra, Podiceps cristatus, Anas
platyrhynchos, Anas crecca, Chroicocephalus
ridibundus and Phalacrocorax carbo. Population
trends, abundance and phenological data in 32
species are commented.

In
Central Europe the Great Reed Warbler breeds
usually once a year. Two broods in the same
season are scarce and questionable. The second
breeding of this species in a stable
south-western Slovakia population in 2009–2011
is discussed in this paper. From a total of 112
females monitored during entire breeding season,
only three females (2.7%) raised successfully
two broods in the same season. These results
correspond to the findings in other sites in
Central Europe.

In
2011, the Constant Effort Sites (CES) programme
was operated at six localities in Slovakia.
Altogether, 3119 individuals of 65 bird species
were caught in 717 m of mist-nets. 1262 (40.5%)
of them were adults and 1857 (59.5%) juveniles.
Reed Warbler, Blackcap, European Robin, Reed
Bunting and Sedge Warbler were the most abundant
species. The juveniles prevailed over the adults
in forest bird species (European Robin, Great
Tit, Blackcap), whereas in most marsh birds,
namely Acrocephalus species, adults predominated
over juveniles. Numbers of birds mist-netted
during the breeding period showed a distinct
seasonal trend. These results are crucial for
the next monitoring.

Successful
breeding of the Scops Owl in prefab house of
urban environment is described from southern
Slovakia. Foraging territory of 6.5 ha was
composed by eight to ten floor high prefab
houses (28%), park tree vegetation (29%) and
grasslands (43%). The tree layer was composed by
conifers (60%) and deciduous trees (40%). The
earliest arrival of birds in the nesting
locality was April 4, 2010. The nest cavity was
located in the attic under the roof in the
middle of eight floor prefab house, 25 m high
and one meter above the nearest window. At least
two chicks fledged and their last observation
was recorded on August 6, 2010. Foraging
behaviour within distribution area was observed.

Data
in this report was sampled by experienced
voluntary observers from stationary points
yearly in last Saturday of January, since 9:00
till 14:00. Points were distributed along Danube
banks and dikes of Gabčíkovo hydro power plant
storage lake and head- and tailwater canal in
pattern providing optimal range of vision from
each point. On January 26, 2009, in Danube river
section (river km 1865–1770), storage lake and
tailwater canal of Gabčíkovo hydroelectric power
project (GHPP) were recorded 44 individuals of
White-tailed Sea Eagle (from that 9 adults and
21 subadults/juveniles). On January 30, 2010, in
Danube river section (rkm 1865–1733), storage
lake and tailwater canal of GHPP were recorded
31 individuals (from that 12 adults and 14
subadults/juveniles). On January 29, 2011, in
Danube river section (rkm 1879–1708), storage
lake and head- and tailwater canal of GHPP were
recorded 11 individuals (from that three adults
and five subadults/juveniles). Data obtained in
2011 were heavily influenced by thick fog
(occurring in 17 points from 38), hence results
from this census are highly underestimated.
Sites with the highest abundance of wintering
population are river sections of Danube river at
rkm 1821–1835, 1811–1818 and 1803–1808 and
storage lake of GHHP.

In
Podunajská nížina lowland, a typical intensively
managed agricultural landscape, wood stands are
relatively scarce. Most frequent are belt-shaped
stands, located mainly in filled-up relicts of
river branches or/and edging linear landscape
elements like lanes, ditches or canals. These
wood stands are colonised by various species of
birds and in otherwise deforested landscape
offer conditions for arboreal/forest species. In
the 2009, the bird assemblages were studied,
using belt transect method, in 12 woody stands
differing in area, width, length and cover of
tall trees, pollarded willows, shrub and
herbaceous layer and proportion of open water.
Total species richness of all sites combined was
41 species with maximum of 23 species in the
widest and four species in one of the two
narrowest stands. Maximum density was detected
in one of the narrowest stands (214.3 pairs/ 10
ha), minimum density in one of the widest stands
(28.6 pairs/ 10 ha). The most common and
abundant species was Luscinia megarhynchos
(18.6±13.3 pairs/ 10 ha). Other species found in
all stands were Passer montanus and Fringilla
coelebs. It was found that the composition of
assemblages was influenced by stand width and
cover of herbaceous layer. Local extinction of
Upupa epops, Coracias garrulus and Phoenicurus
phoenicurus was confirmed. As a curiosity,
common breeding of Passer montanus in missletoe
(Viscum alba) bushes, growing on aged poplars
(solitaries or in lines), was found in four
stands.

During
the season in 2010, with extremely high
precipitations, we observed breeding of at least
seven pairs of Avocet in districts Komárno and
Nové Zámky in south-west Slovakia. Altogether,
eight young leaved four nests.

In
2010 the Rarities Committee of the Slovak
Ornithological Society/Birdlife Slovakia
discussed in total 16 announcements from which
16 were accepted. In the category A (new species
for Slovakia) was accepted one observation:
Prunella atrogularis. In the category B (new
nidificants for Slovakia ) was accepted one
observation: Anas crecca. In the category C (any
occurrence and nesting of the species must by
reported) were accepted 14 observations of the
following species: Alopochen aegyptiaca, Aquila
nipalensis, Branta ruficollis, Bubulcus ibis,
Circus macrourus, Cygnus columbianus, Emberiza
hortulana, Mergus merganser, Montifringilla
nivalis, Motacilla citreola, Pelecanus crispus,
Stercorarius longicaudus, Stercorarius pomarinus
(two observations).

Gustáv
Mauricius Reuss (1818–1861), a Slovak polymath
who lived in Revúca, central Slovakia, wrote in
1853–1854 a list of birds of the surroundings of
the town of Revúca, but the manuscript has never
been published. We restudied the manuscript and
interpreted Reuss’s list of 118 bird “species”
from the point of view of current ornithology
and linguistics. The following records are
significant from the faunistic point of view:
Barn Owl (Tyto alba) and Little Owl (Athene
noctua) as common breeders at Revúca, and White
Stork (Ciconia ciconia) as a non-breeding spring
visitor.

Ornitologické
poznámky
z pozostalosti Františka Baláta (Z Slovensko)

Ornithological notes from the
inheritance of František Balát (W Slovakia)

Peter
RÁC

Lermontovova
4, 811 05 Bratislava, Slovensko

Unpublished
faunistical data on birds are compiled from the
inheritance of Czechoslovak ornithologist Dr.
František Balát (*July 22, 1925 − †April 20,
1992). The data was sampled in western Slovakia
in 1946–1991. Breeding of some mentioned species
is not known more in Slovakia (Burhinus
oedicnemus, Emberiza hortulana, Lanius senator,
Monticola saxatilis, Numenius arquata).

Joseph
von Nagy (1818–1892) was a district physician
and naturalist at Nitra, south-western Slovakia.
In 1859 he published a checklist of the birds of
the Nitra District, in which he created several
new specific names of birds. These names
remained overlooked in taxonomic literature. My
revision of these names showed that Corvus
coracias Nagy is an objective synonym of
Coracias garrulus Linnaeus, Turdus sturnus Nagy
is an objective synonym of Sturnus vugaris
Linnaeus, and Turdus oriolus Nagy is an
objective synonym of Oriolus galbula Linaeus =
Oriolus oriolus (Linnaeus).

In
February 2011 we remembered 150th anniversary
when Ferdinand I. Coburg (*1861 – † 1948),
former Tsar of Bulgaria, was born. He studied
mainly botany, entomology and ornithology. As a
Bulgarian tsar, founded the Sofia ZOO (1888) and
the National Museum of Natural History in Sofia
(1889). From 1889 to 1892 he personally
identified and arranged the bird specimens and
their collections. He attended also some
expeditions (research journeys) in south
America, Africa and Europe. He always studied
the birds of all sites, he visited. In this
paper are summarised his ornithological
activities.

Ornithology
has a special place among sciences in that
amateurs contribute massively to our knowledge
of birds. Indeed, ornithology has been a pioneer
of citizen science. However, amateur
contribution has both, its pros and cons, the
latter including the occasional poorer quality
of primary data and published papers. In this
essay, I draw attention to the intermittent
unsatisfactory quality of ornithological
research (both amateur and professional) in
Czech and Slovak Republics, try to identify its
causes and consequences and suggest possible
solutions. I argue that the current state stems
from confused terminology, misconceptions of
scientific methods and unfamiliarity with rapid
recent changes in standards of scientific
research, publication practice and quality
requirements. Therefore, I discuss (a)
historical changes in the meaning of relevant
terms (birdwatching, ornithologist, amateur,
professional), (b) reasons for current state of
Czech and Slovak ornithology (historical
isolation during the communist era from foreign
“western” science, outdated influential local
literature), and (c) particular shortcomings
(e.g. amateur authors refusing to follow referee
advice on how to correct manuscripts). To
improve the amateur contribution and strengthen
meaningful cooperation between amateur and
professional ornithologists I suggest that
amateurs actively self-educate themselves and
seek advice from professionals. Importantly,
standards of quality and requirements of the
refereeing process should be always objective,
i.e., independent of the author’s previous work
or his/her status as an amateur or a
professional. Ornithology is, indeed, a science
for everyone who is willing to obey the
established rules of scientific work.